Indianapolis Colts Football

The Colts preseason slate is now officially in the books and the cuts to 53 will now be the talk over the next 36 hours. Today’s news looks back at the Colts preseason finale and the play of quarterback Chandler Harnish.

For one final audition to impress the Colts coaches, some players left the field on Thursday night wanting a little more on their resume.

A few did, but many others failed in that regard. The Colts’ backups were outplayed, out-gained and out-muscled at times in the 27-10 loss to the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.

Rather than make coaches’ decisions more difficult ahead of Saturday’s deadline to trim rosters to the regular-season limit of 53, coach Chuck Pagano and his staff instead will have to sift through a fair share shortcomings.

“Credit Cincinnati,” Pagano said. “They did a heck of a job. In all three phases (the Bengals) played much better football tonight than we played. We just really couldn’t get anything started.”

Chandler Harnish got the playing time he expected on Thursday night and now he will wait anxiously after a performance he would like to have back.

The final preseason game, Harnish’s most extensive playing time, was far from smooth.

It ended relatively well, as he directed a 16-play, 82-yard scoring drive – hitting Dominique Jones for a seven-yard touchdown. But it was pretty much a nightmare before that.

“That’s the game of football,” he said. “You have to be mentally tough to be able to bounce back. The players that stick in this league are the ones that can bounce back, next-play mentality, and that’s what I’m working on.”

A year ago, Colts coaches kept him on the opening-day roster as the third quarterback. He later went to the practice squad. The Colts have until 6 p.m. Saturday to finalize their 53-man roster

A total of 75 players will take the field Thursday at Paul Brown Stadium.

For those players, the 60 minutes of football will serve as one final audition to see if they will survive the 53-player cut that comes less than 48 hours later.

Here’s a look at five Colts who are sure to see plenty of playing time on Thursday:

Outside linebacker Caesar Rayford

Rayford has become the unsung hero of the 2013 preseason with five sacks. The former Arena Football Leaguer would be continuing his job as a juvenile counselor if he weren’t in opposing NFL backfields week-after-week.

“My mindset is like it doesn’t matter what I did last game. I’m just going to go out and compete like nothing happened, make the best of every play, every opportunity I get. What I did last game doesn’t matter about this game. It’s all about Cincinnati and got to go out there and compete, because those guys, they ain’t worrying about what I did last game. It’s what I do now.”

Quarterback Chandler Harnish

Harnish calls the preseason his “Super Bowl” and that’s especially the case in game No. 4 where the third string quarterback will get more than a bulk of the snaps. Last year, Harnish played three and a half quarters in the preseason finale and led the offense on a pair of touchdown drives, thus earning a roster spot.

“This is a big evaluation for myself. Last year, I had the opportunity to play most of the game and I’m expecting a lot of playing time this year too. I’m just going to go out there play my game, have fun, prepare like I’m a starter and just go out and show my value to this team.”

Safety Delano Howell

In Week One of the preseason, Howell played 89 snaps (99 percent of all defensive snaps) against Buffalo. He led the team in tackles and has continued to impress all preseason long.

“This is the one we’ve been looking forward to for the young guys, for guys that are trying to prove something, trying to claim a spot. There’s going to be a lot of opportunity, a lot of snaps and everything. I know all of us, all the young guys and everything, people that are fighting to earn a spot, they’re all going to be taking advantage of it.”

Inside linebacker Mario Harvey

Harvey turned in a strong performance last week against the Browns and he has fond memories of last year’s preseason finale. Harvey recorded six tackles, two for loss and eventually earned a roster spot.

“Every chance you get on the field is very important because you are fighting for a spot on the team, to feed your family, fighting for your legacy, your name so it’s very important.”

Safety Joe Lefeged

As an undrafted free agent in 2011, Lefeged had seven tackles in the final preseason game and earned a roster spot. Injuries have sidelined the third-year safety for much of training camp but he is expected to be out there on Thursday evening.

“It’s big but you don’t want to think about it too much. You want to focus on your assignment and go out there and have fun. If you think about the result and things you can’t control, that’s when the mistakes happen.”

The Colts are less than 36 hours away from their 2013 preseason finale. Today’s news looks at the debate of who the Colts No. 2 receiver and a look at the quarterback who will get ample playing time on Thursday night.

One of the most heated discussions among Colts fans centers around who should be the Colts No. 2 receiver.

To answer that, Holder went right to the two men involved in the question.

Said Hilton: “It hasn’t really held me back. That’s where they have me at, so wherever they put me, that’s where I’ll play. I’m happy and they’re happy, so I’ll play it all day.”

“I definitely look at it like a win-win situation,” Heyward-Bey said. “T.Y. made plays last year and he’s made plays this preseason. But I think we have it set up where he’s not losing anything. When we go three wide, he’s out there. When we’re in two-receiver sets, we’re (throwing) passes, but we’re doing our running game too.

“Being a wide receiver, part of what I do is blocking downfield, taking out safeties. So, I definitely play my part and T.Y. plays his part and I think it works well for everybody.”

The news keeps on pouring in around the Colts and today’s headlines indicates just that. Philip B. Wilson of the Indy Star takes a look at some of the position battles and the city of Anderson. The Indianapolis Business Journal has an in-depth look at the city’s 2018 Super Bowl bid. Lastly, Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne News Sentinel was out at Chandler Harnish’s football camp and spoke with the second-year quarterback.

Each morning Colts.com will take a look at the top headlines surrounding the Indianapolis Colts from around the globe. What is the local and national media saying about the Colts?

The competition will be stiff but frankly no one should expect anything different when it comes to bidding for Super Bowls.

Allison Melangton, CEO of the city’s 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee and leader of the 2018 Super Bowl Bid Committee, is promising to come up with another attention-grabber to deliver the bid early next May—if the city proceeds with a bid as expected.

“We have to do our due diligence and that’s what we’re doing right now,” Melangton said. “We’re carefully doing our homework. And if there are no red flags between now and August, it is our intent to bid. Making an informed decision is a big part of my job.”

Melangton is confident in Indianapolis’ pitch and doesn’t have to look very far back to have physical proof of the city’s ability to host a Super Bowl.

“At this point, I don’t see any red flags,” Melangton said, adding that Indianapolis still has enough hotels—downtown and otherwise—to meet bid specifications and Lucas Oil Stadium “has consistently been rated as one of the top venues in the NFL.”

Wilson takes a look at the other side of training camp with an in-depth focus on the city of Anderson over the next three weeks.

“This is an amazing time of year for the community of Anderson, for Anderson University to be the home for Indianapolis Colts training camp,” said Chris Williams, AU director of communications and community relations. “We’re thrilled to be able to do it again for a fourth consecutive year. Signs are going up, bleachers are being dusted off and preparations are being finalized.”

Wilson’s blog helps fans with the schedule, parking, finding campus and other important things to know before attending this year’s training camp.

Chandler Harnish will head to his second NFL training camp later this week but he is currently helping out his community back in Ossian, Ind.

Harnish has been a great ambassador and role model for kids growing up in the Fort Wayne area.

“I’ve told this to a lot of people, but I feel the Lord put me in position, with a platform to spread my influence, and this is one of those tools,” Harnish said. “I want to do whatever I can do to make these kids better people and better players and get them ready for the future. And have some fun. That’s the No.1 rule of this camp, to have fun.”

“This is something I hope goes over really well and can get the kids excited for and have a great time,” Harnish said. “When I was their age, I would have jumped out of my shoes to come out here with college players and an NFL guy and have fun and learn and compete and just walk away with a good taste in your mouth about Norwell football.”

A recap from the four-day weekend begins with a tremendous feature from the Indianapolis Star on Colts backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Also included, is Mike Chappell’s picks for the receiving position on his all-Indy team.

Each morning Colts.com will take a look at the top headlines surrounding the Indianapolis Colts from around the globe. What is the local and national media saying about the Colts?

Take a look below at the top pieces from Thursday, July 4th-Monday, July 8th

It’s Mr. Irrelevant week for Justice Cunningham and as the final pick in the 2013 NFL draft, the tight end will head to southern California for three days of experience.

Cunningham can draw off of experience from last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Colts quarterback Chandler Harnish.

“They make fun of you to a certain extent,” said Harnish, the Colts’ second-year quarterback and the 2012 Mr. Irrelevant out of Northern Illinois, “because no one really thinks you’re going to make the team.”

Once this week is over, it will be preparation time for Cunningham as heads to his first NFL training camp.

“Right now, I’m a man trying to earn a job,” he said. “The sooner I can get rid of that title, the better.”

The Colts rookies headed out into the community on Wednesday taking part in a Play 60 event with over 200 kids.

Activities included reading, dancing, fitness and arts and crafts.

For Bjoern Werner, he had to explain his accent to the young children during the reading session.

“They were asking me where I come from because I can’t speak proper English,” said Werner with a laugh. “It was funny. They thought England, and I told them I was from Germany. They were like ‘Germany?’, so I had to do a little teaching.

The trip to the community is apart of several events that the rookies have taken part in this offseason.

“We have just been in meetings, working out, practices, and training,” said defensive lineman and rookie Montori Hughes. “So getting away from football and being able to give back is always fun and good.”

The teams were ranked on six different scales with various ESPN talents weighing in on team’s prospects in each category.

Here is a snippet of what the analysts had to say about the Colts future:

Indy scored a 7.0 in coaching. Said Herman Edwards: “What more needs to be said about Pagano? He was an inspiring story last year and did so much more than help lead a football team. The key for him this year will be building off that. After such an emotionally draining season, can he keep his team’s energy up? Chuck is a great motivator, so it won’t surprise me if the young Colts keep improving. It doesn’t hurt that Luck is running the offense either.”

Andrew Luck got the Colts an 8.8 at quarterback, the second-best score to Green Bay: Says Mike Sando: “The Colts have only six players age 30 or older on their roster, but (Reggie) Wayne is one of them. Quarterbacks make receivers however, and Luck is going to be just fine. His efficiency should climb now that the Colts have reunited him with his college coordinator, Pep Hamilton.”

This offseason the two Colts quarterbacks have been introduced to a third member in their quarterback room and he isn’t your typical backup.

Matt Hasselbeck’s resume is littered with Pro Bowl appearances, a Super Bowl berth and 15 years of NFL experience.

“You can see Chandler (Harnish) and Andrew (Luck) look at him and go ‘Whoa, this guy comes out slinging it’ and just has run the concept so many times the ball comes out quick,” Colts quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen said. “He knows what’s going on, the way he studies and then just has a professional air about him that’s different from your average football player.”

“There’s a guy that after that many years, you’d dread these (OTA) practices. He might be the most excited, comes in excited every day and has some fun and keeps the place loose. He’s been terrific.”

Hasselbeck is still in the early stages of his time with the Colts but the impact he has had with a pair of second-year quarterbacks is evident.

“He’s first class all the way,” Harnish said of Hasselbeck. “He’s fun, he’s down to earth, he’s energetic.”

“I was telling (Christensen), for a 37-year old, (Hasselbeck) throws the ball extremely well, he’s good in conditioning. I’m hoping that I’m half as good as he is at that age. It’s easy to respect a guy like that and follow him because he’s a Super Bowl quarterback, Pro Bowler, been around for a long time and played with some of the greats.”

On the brink of 200 games played in the NFL, Hasselbeck had a decision to make this offseason.

He could close the book on a career that many quarterbacks dream of, instead, Hasselbeck has decided to take one more challenge, one that doesn’t include a starting script, but the need to mentor a youthful quarterback room in trying to add a Super Bowl ring to an already lengthy resume.

“I think it just speaks to his character of the type of guy he is,” Harnish said of Hasselbeck joining the Colts.

“He’s about making this world a better place and using this platform to affect those guys younger than him, whether it’s a teammate or someone just out in the community.”

We are 100 days away from the start of the 2013 NFL season with the Colts wrapping up OTAs over the next two weeks.

Last week the Colts assistant coaches were made available to the media and offered some great perspective into their position group.

Colts.com will take a closer look into these groups over the coming weeks and here is a preview of comments from the various offensive assistant coaches:

Quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen is the longest tenured coach on the Colts staff yet he has the luxury this offseason of something he has never really seen during his 11 seasons in Indianapolis.

Matt Hasselbeck brings 15 seasons of NFL experience to the Colts quarterbacks room and has already made an impression with his fellow signal callers.

“You can see Chandler (Harnish) and Andrew (Luck) look at (Hasselbeck) and go ‘Whoa, this guy comes out slinging it’ and just has run the concept so many times the ball comes out quick. He knows what’s going on, the way he studies and then just has a professional air about him that’s different from your average football player. He’s been great. He’s been terrific. There’s a guy, same thing, that after that many years, you’d dread these practices. He might be the most excited, comes in excited every day and has some fun and keeps the place loose. He’s been terrific.”

Running backs coach David Walker was a victim of injuries across his position group last season with Vick Ballard being the lone constant over the course of the season.

Walker was very high on Ballard when he came out of Mississippi State in 2012 and after an 814-yard rookie campaign, it’s the little things that are the focus this offseason.

“The good lord has given (Ballard) a lot of physical ability. It’s not so much he needs to get bigger, faster, stronger. It’s how he trains his eyes, gets better as a pro. Like anything, to be able to sense things before they happen that’s the key at any position and with experience that’s going to come forward.”

Offensive line coach Joe Gilbert is familiar with most of his group but now he is the one leading the room after spending last season as an assistant offensive line coach.

Curious minds have wondered what type of schemes the Colts offensive line will implement this season and Gilbert cleared that up with a detailed answer.

“I mean we’ve got everything. We’re a gap team. We’ve got gap schemes, we’ve got zone schemes, we’ve got man schemes. I think the one thing we’ve got enough of in our arsenal is we can pick and choose game week going in and seeing how somebody going to defend us. How can we take advantage of them personnel-wise? How can we create mismatches by formations and by schemes. I think that gives us a little bit of flexibility with what we have.”

“As a sports fan, it’s awesome to see a spectacle like this, a stadium like this,” Luck said in a Wednesday press conference at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “To see how different athletes operate and how a race car team operates compared to a football team. Hopefully it will be a little educational for us.”

Busy with school last May, Luck made sure to make it out to the speedway this year and his relationship with Kimball extends back to the IU-Riley event the driver attended with the Colts quarterback.

Kimball’s father is a Stanford alumnus and Charlie’s aunt even spoke to Luck’s freshman English literature class in Palo Alto.

Both Luck and Kimball spent part of their childhood growing up in Europe but now it’s all about the Circle City during the month of the May.

“I wanted them to come see my office, because in the Winter, it’s easy to turn on the TV and see these guys go to work on Sundays,” Kimball said.

“I wanted to give them the opportunity see what I think is the greatest sporting venue in the world – the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and see us turn laps at 215, 220 mph and give them the full Indianapolis experience.”

Last year’s Colts rookie class included a pair of Indiana ties from two different avenues.

There was Chandler Harnish, a Bluffton, Ind. native, who was Mr. Irrelevant in April of 2012 and then made the most of that selection by finding a spot on the Colts practice squad for nearly the entire season.

Harnish’s college teammate at Northern Illinois Nathan Palmer (Elkhart, Ind.) became the 2012’s group second Indiana native when he was signed to the Colts active roster on Sept. 24.

Flash forward to 2013 and the Indiana flavor comes from four different players this spring with three tryout invitees looking to find a permanent spot in their home state.

Below are the four players with Indiana ties that have called the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center home for the last three days.

A pair of Hobart, Ind. natives lead the group with Jordan Bright (Indiana State) hailing from the northwest part of the state.

At 6’7”, 297 pounds, Bright is hoping that his trip down to the state capitol will past a little long so his friends and family can continue to watch the defensive end close to home.

“It was real nice hearing from Indy but getting the call was just nice in general,” Bright said. “It’s real close to home and I just want to do everything I can do to keep rolling here.”

Safety Nick Driskill calls Wabash, Ind. home and was apart of one of the winningest football programs in all levels of college during his time at Division III Mount Union.

Driskill falls in a similar line of thinking with Bright in that any call from any team is special enough.

“Just the call alone is a dream in itself,” Driskill said. “There’s still a lot more to it but I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity.”

Kicker Mike Josifovski (Hobart, Ind.) might be a familiar name to those around the city of Indianapolis as he won Marian the NAIA National Championship in December thanks to game-winning field goals in the semi-finals and championship.

“It was an amazing call,” Josifovski said. “The Colts have always been my favorite team growing up being from Indiana. It’s indescribable but obviously it’s an opportunity where you want to take advantage of it and make the most of it.”

Purdue center Rick Schmeig closes out the quartet and is the lone non-Indiana native in the group.

Schmeig spent last week with the Jacksonville Jaguars and with A.Q. Shipley no longer in Indianapolis, the opportunity is there for some reps at the center position.

“(The coaches) just tell you what you did wrong, tell you what you need to fix,” Schmeig said of the Colts. “They definitely take time with you and let you know how to fix it. I definitely like it here.”

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